The Matriarch's Daughter

Epilogue

Dim surveyed his surroundings. The sun had started to set low on the horizon. A cool ocean breeze blew inland across the shore, carrying with it a taste of dust. All around him, rubble stretched as far as the eye could see, jagged remnants of the once-imposing mountain, and corpses left to bake under the relentless sun. The stench of rot clawed at his throat, making him gag, but he swallowed it down, desperate to leave. However, he would not and could not.

He was afraid for two reasons. First, he knew how close they were to the human and Galak city. If scouts had happened upon them by chance, he doubted their ability to do anything about it before reinforcements could be summoned and their small goblin contingent was overtaken. A small band of goblins, no matter how vicious, was nothing compared to the organized strength of an allied army. Dim was almost certain the collapsed mountain was their doing, and knew they'd be back to see what remained of their handiwork.

But as unsettling as that thought was, it paled in comparison to the terror that loomed just a few feet away. Dim's stomach churned at the sight of him, towering and pacing restlessly near the ruined entrance.

The Goblin King was a force of nature, capable of feats that made the blood drain from Dim's face just thinking about them. Dim had seen him summon fire from nothing, tear men apart without so much as a grunt, and vanish into thin air like a ghost. Now, as he watched the Goblin King inspect the rubble, Dim had no illusions about what would happen if things didn't go according to the King's plan.

Around them, three squads of goblins milled about, their minds too dull to grasp the danger they were in. Occasionally, a scuffle would break out among them, their boredom quickly turning into violence. Dim envied their ignorance. If they had even the slightest boost in intelligence, they'd be just as terrified as he was.

Dim's heart raced as the Goblin King shifted his gaze to the right, toward a path they'd already explored. His confusion deepened as the King began walking that way. There's nothing down there, Dim thought in a rising panic. They'd searched every inch of that path, and it led to a dead end. But if the Goblin King found something they'd missed... Dim gulped hard, the bitter taste of dust still clinging to his mouth. If there was something there, it would be his head on the line.

Reluctantly, and with a growing sense of dread, Dim followed. His second-in-command, Dum, trailed behind, as usual, doing something utterly useless—this time picking his nose.

The Goblin King stopped at the wall that marked the path's end, his gaze focused. Dim watched as the King began to do something strange. First, he scraped his boot against the ground, dragging it deliberately across the dirt and stone, stirring up clouds of dust. Then, he ran his hands slowly over the surface of the wall, as if searching for something only he could feel. The seconds ticked by painfully, each one stretching longer than the last, until finally, the Goblin King's fingers stilled. He turned, his eyes locking onto Dim, a slow, cruel smile curling his lips.

Dim should have run right there.

Without warning, the Goblin King twisted his hand, and the very mountain trembled. The earth groaned as rocks shifted, grinding against each other, and a new cloud of dust exploded into the air. Dim staggered back, coughing, blinded by the swirling debris. The ground shook beneath his feet, and he braced himself, terrified of what might happen next.

When the dust finally settled, what stood before them made Dim's blood run cold. The wall was gone, replaced by a massive, yawning opening. Dim stared, dumbfounded, his pulse thudding in his ears.

At once, the Goblin King spoke to him. "Go. Tell me what you find. Do not be caught."

It wasn't a request. Dim's heart pounded in his chest as he nodded, motioning for Dum to stay put. He crept into the tunnel, hugging the shadows as if his life depended on it. Like most things around him, Dim had no idea what was going on, only that he had to do as he was told.

Some things were worse than death.

The tunnel stretched out before him, long and dark, with jagged edges and the occasional drip of water echoing in the silence. This was the only advantage Dim had—the dark. Humans, with their pitiful vision in low light, wouldn't see him coming. As long as no burrowing creatures lurked beneath the surface, he'd make it through in one piece. Lucky for him, the cave was too symmetrical to have been made by anyway...that left only the humans.

When Dim finally reached the end, his heart sank. Another wall. Another dead end. But this time, he wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. He glanced around nervously, remembering the Goblin King's peculiar method earlier. With a hesitant breath, Dim scraped his foot along the ground. He felt ridiculous. Just as he feared, nothing happened.

Frustrated, Dim pressed his hands against the wall, running his fingers over the rough surface, feeling for anything out of place. Minutes ticked by.

Nothing.

Just as he was about to turn back, a thought struck him. He retraced his steps and felt around a similar spot in the wall where the Goblin King had searched. After a tense few moments, his fingers grazed loose rock. Dim's pulse quickened. Carefully, he turned the stone, feeling it shift ever so slightly, but he stopped before revealing its secret. Whatever was behind this door wasn't for him to discover, nor was he about to risk being on the wrong side of whatever lay beyond.

He backed away, breathing heavily as he made his way back down the tunnel. The Goblin King and Dum were waiting for him; the latter still picking his nose like the dull-witted fool he was. Dim shot him a look of disgust, then turned to face the Goblin King, whose gaze was already piercing through him.

"The tunnel's empty," Dim reported, his voice steady despite the sweat trickling down his back. "Another blocked end, but I found a second secret switch."

The Goblin King's eyes narrowed. "Did you activate it?"

Dim swallowed hard, his throat dry. "No."

A wicked smile curled across the Goblin King's face. "Good. I would hate to lose our advantage." He stepped forward, his voice dropping to a low growl. "Gather your troops and head to the Golden Mountains. We have a new arrival that needs attending."

Without another word, the Goblin King turned and activated the switch. The ground rumbled beneath their feet as the tunnel entrance sealed shut behind a cloud of dust and debris. Dim squinted, coughing through the haze, but when the dust settled, the Goblin King was gone, as if he had never been there at all.

Thank the gods.

He glanced over at Dum, who was still preoccupied with his nose.

Hopeless.

Ignoring him, Dim returned to the rest of his troops. As expected, they were already brawling, a tangle of limbs and snarls, driven mad with boredom. Dim's frustration boiled over, and with a roar, he grabbed one of the goblins by the scruff and hurled him into the others. The impact was enough to break the chaos, and the goblins quickly fell in line.

"To the Golden Mountains!" Dim barked, his voice carrying over the crowd. 

The goblins erupted into cheers, their bloodlust already bubbling to the surface as they set off toward the ocean. Dim marched behind them, thoughts racing. They had three days to reach the staging site where the rest of their contingent was waiting. But his biggest concern wasn't the logistics. It was the goblins themselves. Left to their own devices, he knew many would likely kill each other before they even reached the mountains. The thought didn't bother him as much as it should have. He understood the allure. This land was theirs by right, and he, like the rest of them, was ready to take it back.

As they reached the shore and the boats came into view, Dim's voice rose above the sound of crashing waves and excited goblin chatter. His eyes gleamed. He was ready. They were ready. This was their time.

"Let the war begin," he cried.